College helps dedicate Lea Hill park

College employees were on hand Oct. 30 as the City of Auburn dedicated the opening of the new Lea Hill park. The city and the college traded land parcels in 2010, paving the way for the city to build a new park and the college to build a new Trades building on a piece of land contiguous with the main campus.

"The cooperative work between Green River and the City is a win-win for the Lea Hill community," said Eileen Ely in her opening remarks. "The outcome is the beautiful neighborhood park you see here today and the Trades and Industry building you will see in the future."

The seven-acre park features a skate park, walking pathways, a wooden picnic shelter, an amphitheater, baseball field, free game synthetic sport area, half basketball court and a play area. A grant from the King County Youth Sport Facilities helped build the sport area and another from KaBOOM! Let's Play helped fund the playground.

The Lea Hill park was built on land originally donated to the Foundation. The Foundation subsequently donated the land to the college. The site was too small for the Trades building, which prompted the land swap discussion with the city. The college and the city then created an agreement in which both entities hold an undivided interest in the land. With Trades moved to its new location, the college can reconfigure the campus east entrance and make room for a new Lindblooom Student Center.